I am the sole breadwinner for my family, have two kids - an 11 year old son and a 5 month old daughter (who was born while I was in nursing school!!), my wife has been a stay-at-home mom the whole time I have been working through school and working full time, and I finish my ADN at the end of April.

It can be done - it's all in deciding what you want, setting your priorities and goals, and then doing it. There is financial aid grants and scholarships as well as loans available, and I'm certain you qualify for them, if I did with 1 child.

Good luck to you in your journey.

Well, I personally work Thursday through Saturday 7P to 7A, Sunday 7P to 3A, and have class days Monday and Thursday, and clinical days Tuesday and Wednesday.

Is it tough? Oh, yes. Exhausting? You bet. Will I be glad when I am done? Darn right.

Like I said, you choose what sacrifices you make for what you want.

senger: if your AA is that old, you will probably have to retake some courses, especially the bio and chemistry if you plan on going straight for the BSN.

It IS possible to work and go to nursing school, but it is also difficult and can strain family relationships. You need to get your family on board before you start and make sure they understand you will see very little of them while you are in the program, and that you will not be able to help out with household chores the way you do now. The payoff comes in a greatly improved standard of living once you finish.

When I went for my ADN, I had been an LPN for some time, and was working full time in the county jail. I went to school from 7-3 Mon-Fri, then went to work from 4-12 Mon-Fri plus took call one weekend a month. My husband worked 7-5pm for Perdue Farms: we never saw each other during the week, and had precious little time on the weekends because I had to study. It was very difficult for both of us. But the bills got paid, and I graduated.

You have a couple of options: you can apply to a one year LVN program and start working as a nurse while you finish an RN program. Or you can apply to an ADN or BSN program and get your pre-reqs together until you gain admission. All nursing programs nationwide are competitive, so apply to more than one school, and take the first seat you get. You can bridge to the BSN level from either the LVN or the ADN-RN level. This means you could get LVN first, and go for BSN without having to go to an ADN program first. Bridging is something you could do online. But if you do go the LVN route, go for your RN as soon as you can. You will have more opportunities, more responsibility, more respect, and better pay.

Good luck!

theala said:

senger: if your AA is that old, you will probably have to retake some courses, especially the bio and chemistry if you plan on going straight for the BSN.

It IS possible to work and go to nursing school, but it is also difficult and can strain family relationships. You need to get your family on board before you start and make sure they understand you will see very little of them while you are in the program, and that you will not be able to help out with household chores the way you do now. The payoff comes in a greatly improved standard of living once you finish.

When I went for my ADN, I had been an LPN for some time, and was working full time in the county jail. I went to school from 7-3 Mon-Fri, then went to work from 4-12 Mon-Fri plus took call one weekend a month. My husband worked 7-5pm for Perdue Farms: we never saw each other during the week, and had precious little time on the weekends because I had to study. It was very difficult for both of us. But the bills got paid, and I graduated.

You have a couple of options: you can apply to a one year LVN program and start working as a nurse while you finish an RN program. Or you can apply to an ADN or BSN program and get your pre-reqs together until you gain admission. All nursing programs nationwide are competitive, so apply to more than one school, and take the first seat you get. You can bridge to the BSN level from either the LVN or the ADN-RN level. This means you could get LVN first, and go for BSN without having to go to an ADN program first. Bridging is something you could do online. But if you do go the LVN route, go for your RN as soon as you can. You will have more opportunities, more responsibility, more respect, and better pay.

Good luck!

Also, taking 2 classes at a time helps with the work/school scedule. It is a very daunting task and there will be days that will seem like why did I do this? But I agree with others, sit down, talk to your family and explain what it will take as a team effort to accomplish this. I did that with my boys and fiancee and they were totally supportive. I was working full time when I re-started, but thank to my better half and his job, he encouraged me to give up the job and focus on school. Money has been tight, but we manage. I wish you the best of luck!

senger - well i am also considering the nursing job to. I work full time and trying to go to school so far i have been going part time because i have to help out on paying the bills i really dont know what to say i guess it depends on how well you can balance things out with work money and school

Senger, Check out the web page for the govenor of Ca. The state of Cailf. is offering to repay student loans if you get a BSN. A loan forgiveness program.You can also take your pre-reqs one or two at a time online or in the evenings at your community college.(it would be cheaper) Just make sure you see a counseler to see what pre-req classes you will need.t hen you are close to being done you can apply for a BSN program.I live in Far northern Ca. and there is only one choice for nursing school, so it made taking classes easy. I say follow your heart. Take a chance and finish your pre-reqs and the rest will fall into place.I took my pre-reqs 2 at a time, I also had a previous aa, so I only had my sciences to do. While on the waiting list for the ADN program I started the pre-reqs for the BSN upgrade. Now when I graduate I will be ready to bridge over to Bsn program through Chico state which is online. Then I don't have to commute 1 1/2 hrs. to go to school. I used grants to pay for my pre-reqs and I waited to use student loans until I started nursing school. Now I am a full time student and I do not work. It can be done. It is hard and money is tight. My family knows that in a year we will be so much better off. I have 3 kids and a hubby. Good Luck. Kim

Hi Everybody. I live in Central New Jersey. I took the LVN course in 1983, passed the State test in 1985, but never went into nursing. Unfortunately, I had an instructor that emphasized how a patient can easily infect a nurse by getting their hands on a needle, or biting, etc. It so happens this is when the Aids situation was coming out and I allowed these things to scare me away from nursing. Although I dont' work in the medical field, I've always made sure to keep my license wishing I'd followed my heart. A few years ago I started looking into refresher courses, but it turns out that there aren't any in my area. When I contacted the place where I took the LVN course, I was told that they could not help me do a refresher because I had kept my license active; making me a liability (go figure!). I found an online source that would allow me to do a refresher, but requires clinicals which no hospital in this area will let me do. One hospital told me that they no longer hired LPNs and that LPNs were being phased out. I tried to explain that I just needed the clinicals for the refresher course, and that I planned to continue studying towards my RN; but was told they couldn't help me. So... my option seems to be to start from scratch without letting the school know I have a license as an LPN or let the license lapse and then apply to nursing school. Either way it will take a while because I am a FT, single parent, and can only go to school PT. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

kdorney - That's a great idea - to work on BSN prereqs while waiting to get on the list for the ADN Program. How many more classes/semesters would it take to complete the prereqs before getting into a BSN Program?

My name is Jessica and I've always wanted to be nurse practicioner since high school. I thought I would go into the military and get them to pay for my schooling. Well I ended up in a bad situation and got discharged. Now I am trying to start all over again. I am currently a nursing assistant, working at a hospital full- time and have two part- time jobs, and I do online courses to get most of my prerequisites out of the way. I have also applied to a community college for this coming fall for my other prerequisites and their nursing program. I am seeking all kinds of scholarships and financial aide for school. I want to become a nurse so bad. I am just so afraid that I won't be able to make it. I hate being stressed and having to work myself beyond healthy limits just to scrape by. I don't desire to be rich. I just desire to be a nurse and I am trying to do it all as soon as possible. However, I do have my friends and family in real- life and in the faith that help me and remind to lean on God and seek Him for strength. Because of God being with me and I am saved, have an internal peace that is beyond words, and am able to stay sane long enough to enjoy life. I love to laugh and the Lord doesn't miss an opportunity to make a moment in my life worth living. I want to spread that same peace, joy, and laughter in all the people I meet- -especially the sick. Only God helps me stay on my path for nursing, because there are some days that I just feel like giving up. But I know in the end, I'll have it and will enjoy it.